The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-08-11
WISCON> SIN.
Visited by the Most Terrible
Drouth on Record in
That Section.
The Corn Crop Ruined Wells and
Creeks Dry-Tho Fields
Parched Up.

CHICAGO, August ga local paper, sum-
ming up the reports received by 1t of the
drouth, prairie tires, ruined crops, ETC.,
says this morning:
"There is an area of perhaps $4,000
square miles in the northwest where the
dust lies heavily upon the earth. The
district is bounded by Madison on the
north, Bloomington on the south, Lake
Michigan on the east, and the Mis-
sissippi river on the west. It is within
the limits of these boundaries that vege-
tation has lost its normal color and the
earth its moisture. Day after day the sun
sends its burning rays upon the parched
farms and fields. Leaves are falling off
the trees. The grass in the meadows has
grown yellow and white, and the streams
upon which cattle used to satisfy. their
thirst are as dry as powder horns.
1t has been nearly ten weeks since a
soaking rain fell in this district. The
big bull thistle, the pest of nearly every
farm, has at last succumbed to the fate of
all other vegetation. The big weed frat
wilted, then turned black, and finally fell
upon the earth. With not enough mois
ture in the ground to feed the thistle, the
condition of corn and tender grass in the
meadows may be imagined. In southern
Wisconsin there are thousands of acres
where corn will not yield peck to the
acre. The crop has been scorohed and al
most totally destroyed.
The leaves of the cereal are yellow and
brittle and droops almost to the ground.
The loss of the corn crop is serious.
As it is, it will not impoverish the farm
,,,t oil, M
the land was first titled, and have, for the
most part, laid by enough money to carry
them through the winter. But there are
other dangers to be confronted. W, lis
have run dry, and in some towns water
famines are imminent. Drinking water
at hand is polluted and filed with poison
ous germs. Typhoid fever is becoming
more prevalent, and dysentry disturbances
are SO common in some places as to be
almost epidemic. Unless rain falls before
many days the suffering will be greatly
augmented.
The intense heat has been terrific
strain, but its effect upon cattle has been
simply appalling. Without pasturage to
browse upon, or pools in which to stand
during the hot hours of the day, the poor
wholly unmarketable. Farmers in dairy
districts have, in some instances, been
com PEELED to feed and water their COWS
from their own larder. In other places
forest trees have been felled and dragged
to the pastures, and cattle turned loose to
browse upon the leaves. Hundreds OF
COWS are being killed and shipped tc
market for mere pittance. At Wins
low, ILL.,, one farmer bought ten heac
of cattle last January for $500
When he offered to sell the
entire herd last week for 800, he coult
not find a purchaser. Farmers in thil
district have turned their cattle loose tt
feed upon the crops. In some places
fences have been run through corn fields
and the starving cattle permitted to feet
upon leaves and stalks. When these hav
been eaten, the fences are extended unit
entire fields have been cleaned.
Added to all the miseries attending tn
great drouth is the C Instant fear of fires
The tall grass of the prairies is dead. TIL
fields are ready to burst into flames; tn
leaves lie in hea ps in the forests. Spark
start fire and blistering, Sahara-lik
wind fans the flames into confagratior
Already land encompassed by boundarie
has been blackened by wild fires. Il
some towns the people are often calle
out three or four times a day to fight tn
flames. Destructive fires have bee
raging for many days at Kenasha, Racine
and Walworth counties, in Wisconsin.
Thousands of acres have been swept b
the flames, and the loss to the farmers i
hay, grain, fencing and building is yer
great. Above Madison logs are burnin
fiercely, and pungent smoke hangs owe
the country for miles around.
In northern Illinois the fires are 8
numerous that the farmers have plowe
ground about their buildings in order
check the spread of the flames.
In some parts of the district the drout
is so terrible that butternuts and walnut
have fallen from the trees. Potatoes
when taken from their beds OF ashes, loo
. like crab-apples; they are wrinkled an
spongy, and unfit for food. There is also
great scarcity of milk, owing to the il
ability of the COWS to find nutritious foot
Should the drouth remain unbroke
much longer, incalculable ruin will b
,, wrought by these fires, which spring up i
unex pected places and in the most myf
: terious manner.